if they don't put the V8 in it then i'll be finding a 2013 black trailhawk. but i'm waiting to see what happens.

The hemi may be an option as it was on last year's Grand Cherokee Trailhawk along with the tow pkg. I was just speculating. I didn't mean to bum you out at all. Milous would be the first one to get the scoop on this & other details.

However, if they are following my specs for this vehicle they will offer the hemi, pentastar & CRD, tow package for sure, the blood orange paint is perfect for me (include a black, gray, and the VIPER BLUE). Drop the tires to 32s or 33s. Keep the SRT hood- kickass!

One of the testers was pleasantly surprised at how it drove on road with the 35s for those that are worried about that.

Give a vehicle that is fully off road capable, not one that is just off pavement and a mall rider. Get the Limiteds and Laredos for that market and let us have the specialized off road vehicle while the SRT crowd gets their special speedster.

Why assume their is a need to compromise? The prototype with CRD seems PERFECT as is.

One of the testers was pleasantly surprised at how it drove on road with the 35s for those that are worried about that.

Give a vehicle that is fully off road capable, not one that is just off pavement and a mall rider. Get the Limiteds and Laredos for that market and let us have the specialized off road vehicle while the SRT crowd gets their special speedster.

Why assume their is a need to compromise? The prototype with CRD seems PERFECT as is.

I see your point however how will the drivetrain handle the 35s? I think that's uncharted waters. I think the wranglers run 32s, correct?

I see your point however how will the drivetrain handle the 35s? I think that's uncharted waters. I think the wranglers run 32s, correct?

Yeah, I agree. Now someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but when I was researching for my Rubicon, I remember reading somewhere that they couldn't legally sell anything bigger than 32s from the factory. But 32s would still be pretty awesome on this thing...

There are a lot of considerations, you are correct. I own both a heavily modified 2012 Rubicon JKU and a stock 2013 ORAII Overland with a Hemi. I was confronted with how to take a brand new vehicle over the Rubicon with JeepJamboreeUSA.

What you want ideally is more ground clearance...achieved by getting bigger tires that lift the axles. But then you have to consider the strains on the various components and that is fixed with new steering linkages and lift kits. SOOO, I instead stayed on factory 32 inch tires and took off all the factory skid plates (they are strangely thin and flimsy...only half covers the fuel tank!) and the terrible factory Rubicon rock rails. The replaced rock rails (SRC) I would not recommend as they were crushed on the trail (my third rock rail set from MOPAR was great though and highly recommended...same as pictured on the Trailhawk II). Also replaced front and rear bumpers for better approach / departure angles. Did all this for the price a set of new tires and a lift kit would have set me back...and hated not at least trying the factory Rubicon tires!

There is a point here... The size of the tires drive weight and offset issues and wheelwell clearance during articulation that do have to be considered and it is rather complicated to do it really right.

BUT that is the beauty of a FACTORY vehicle that comes with 35s. The engineers have considered, designed, and tested a design that will both be safe and not break immediately. The beauty if having the factory do this rather than the trial and error I the aftermarket should be apparent.

To that end, we should demand that the Jeep Factory prototype Trailhawk II seen at Moab enter production without being watered down! Imagine all the headaches we could avoid if Jeep offered the vehicle we need without us resorting to fixing things later in the aftermarket.

Imagine! What if Jeep didn't really stand for Just Empty Every Pocket??

^^
Well said. I'm buying one either way unless they really switch things up. I saw some interior pictures (even though it looked as if it was a '13' interior) and they went as far as including orange stitching on the seats so it appears as if they're not just playin'.

There are a lot of considerations, you are correct. I own both a heavily modified 2012 Rubicon JKU and a stock 2013 ORAII Overland with a Hemi. I was confronted with how to take a brand new vehicle over the Rubicon with JeepJamboreeUSA.

What you want ideally is more ground clearance...achieved by getting bigger tires that lift the axles. But then you have to consider the strains on the various components and that is fixed with new steering linkages and lift kits. SOOO, I instead stayed on factory 32 inch tires and took off all the factory skid plates (they are strangely thin and flimsy...only half covers the fuel tank!) and the terrible factory Rubicon rock rails. The replaced rock rails (SRC) I would not recommend as they were crushed on the trail (my third rock rail set from MOPAR was great though and highly recommended...same as pictured on the Trailhawk II). Also replaced front and rear bumpers for better approach / departure angles. Did all this for the price a set of new tires and a lift kit would have set me back...and hated not at least trying the factory Rubicon tires!

There is a point here... The size of the tires drive weight and offset issues and wheelwell clearance during articulation that do have to be considered and it is rather complicated to do it really right.

BUT that is the beauty of a FACTORY vehicle that comes with 35s. The engineers have considered, designed, and tested a design that will both be safe and not break immediately. The beauty if having the factory do this rather than the trial and error I the aftermarket should be apparent.

To that end, we should demand that the Jeep Factory prototype Trailhawk II seen at Moab enter production without being watered down! Imagine all the headaches we could avoid if Jeep offered the vehicle we need without us resorting to fixing things later in the aftermarket.

Imagine! What if Jeep didn't really stand for Just Empty Every Pocket??

The possibilities are amazing...

I'm not following your heavy modifications. You're saying your Rubicon is heavily modified and you're running 32" tires? What else did you do? We'ed all like to see a Trailhawk II available from the factory.

I don't want to turn this into a Wrangler thread, but heavily modified can mean different things to different folks perhaps. To you it's a lift kit and tires.

I replaced the few skid plates from the factory with Skid Row plates (they were great on the Rubicon Trail where,without a lift, you WILl scrape along the little sluice at the very least). That included more plates than Jeep originally installed with a sway bar disconnect plate, a transfer case plate, lower control arm plate, and front skid plate. Added a front and rear Rancho slider for those times when I took the wrong line of approach. Replaced the bumpers with steel "stubbies" that ensured the tires would hit the incline first, not the chassis. Replaced the standard shocks with Bilsteins (though this was a questionable choice as the factory shocks were probably good enough). The Warn winch was useless on the Rubicon, but did add a good chunk of weight to an already heavy bumper. To compensate I did a very modest coil over spacer to bring the vehicle back up to its original clearance. I had 350 miles on the vehicle for break in time when I took it over the Rubicon, and it did very well (bent a tie rod, crushed an SRC rock rail, stripped off the right rear fender which I replaced with flat profile Bushwackers).

The factory 32s worked well (you air down out there so you lose even more clearance).

Sorry if all that doesn't seem heavily modded from factory.

Back on point, I'm hoping for a vehicle where the bigger tires are factory installed and the gearing and steering linkages are factory adjusted, and where the MOPAR rock rails are standard...where the CRD, 8speed transmission and fantastic Quadra Drive II can do wonders WITHOUT me spending a fortune in the aftermarket.

I noticed on the build order thread that Milous put out that there is a Fall placeholder for the Trailhawk II release. For those excited about this prospect, where will you take yours, assuming it stays as capable as the Prototype?

I'm thinking Moab for sure, Ouray, and some of the sand / mud trails here in the East?

I'm so tempted to try the Rubicon (I followed a lifted older Grand last August); just don't know if I can afford the repairs.